In many applications, high performance electrical connections must be made between one device and another. Many factors can reduce performance by adversely effecting these connections. Such factors can include signal reflections caused by impedance discontinuities within and between the devices, degraded electrical connections from gaps and/or surface coatings between the devices, cross-talk due to signal transmission and reception between adjacent devices, discontinuities caused by differential electrical lengths or pathways, as well as the generation of electrical inductance within the devices. Reducing or eliminating the effect of these factors can provide increased system performance.
One example of an application where connections having high signal performance is strongly desired, is with test platforms or other automated test equipment (ATE). Such equipment provides semiconductor manufacturers the capability of individually testing each and every semiconductor device fabricated during production. The testing can be performed using contactors which make electrical connections between the tester and the device interface board, or DIB, which is in turn connected to the device under test, or DUT. The contactors can carry test signals which are used to verify the operation of the DUT and ensure that the devices work properly before they are shipped to customers.
Contactors and the DIB must be manufactured to close tolerances to achieve proper electrical connections therebetween. Further, to allow the use of higher test signal frequencies in ATEs, contactors increasingly need better high frequency performance. To obtain such close tolerances and increased performance adds significant cost and complexity to the ATE.
Therefore, a need exists for contactors which can achieve the desired electrical connection and high signal performance, while limiting or reducing costs and device complexity.